Long time since I have posted, but starting to get stumped at the issue I'm having. On a spirited drive (peaking 17psi) I will smell a little coolant. There would a few drops out of the radiator cap. Does not overheat, runs 185 at idle and goes up to 205 in traffic with the a/c on or on the highway with a/c. I've replaced the intake manifold gasket thinking it might bleed over boost from cylinder 4, no luck. Replaced my OEM head gasket for a JG Proseal, still the same issue. When the head was off I put a strait edge on the block and the head and couldn't fit the smallest feeler gauge I had on hand either. No cracks seen at the sleeve/water jacket when the head was off either. I get my oil tested by Blackstone labs and never a report of any contaminates out of the ordinary. Replaced my radiator cap with a Koyo 1.3 bar cap. Silicone radiator hoses since it is a 20year old EJ8. Mainly a solid whiff of coolant and the droplets are here and there. I'm trying to dial in the issues before I get the vehicle 3hrs away to get tuned by Phearable in Tampa.

Build: LS/Vtec (PR3 head) 81mm bore ARP head studs with rods and pistons 9.5cr - 185 psi all 4 bores on cold engine. Go Auto cast mani with 54trim t/3 t/4 turbonetics, 650 cc FIC injectors Hondata S300v3. triple core radiator with Spal slim 12in fan and mishimoto low temp thermostat (will be replacing with OEM shortly). I did use the b16 water pump from the previous engine before swapping to the B18b block.

I should be easy on it since it is not fully tuned and only running on a basemap I know, but I could not resist, stupid me. I might go back to an OEM headgasket with some copper spray, but wanted to get some input first.

 

Just to add the OEM head gasket had no sign of any issues either. Looked pretty good when I removed it. Might just take the block and head off and get them resurfaced, lots of work and trying to avoid the hassle if possible. Would give me an excuse to bump up the compression too.

 

If it reaches pressure it should just open and push to the overflow. Maybe a blockage going to the overflow? Otherwise I would say just a faulty cap, or damage to the neck of the rad.

 

it will cycle in and out of the reservoir as it should. the OE cap was worse and the Koyo helped a lot. I wonder if anyone else has seen any damage to the block that is not that the top of the sleeves that could cause this issue. I'm thinking to swap over to distilled water and water wetter to dump the smell, but the issue of over pressurizing the cooling system still exist.

 

what radiator are you using?

did you properly bleed the coolant/air bubbles?

 

It's a G Plus triple core.
I have the bucket attachment on the cap adapter. Raises the fluid level so it's at the highest point of the engine.

 

....the cap attachment has nothing to do with bleeding the air bubbles out

 

That funnel is used to assist the coolant bleed procedure, you can keep it on there until thermostat opens up and get good circulation. Can't be worse than old Land Rovers

 

Ive kept the funnel until the thermostat opens and no longer forming bubbles with the heater on blast too.

 

Was the front of the car jacked up at an angle? That is what assists in the bleed process. You may simply need to raise the front and use the Lisle Funnel again, to "burb" the system.

 

I'll give it a shot tonight. Thank.

 

Still getting a little spit up. Im thinking it might be stacked tolerances on the block and head. Getting the block decked and head resurfaced. Trying to avoid it but I'm thinking it's inevitable at this point.

thanks for the help,

 

Make sure they give you a very fine cut on both surfaces. Too aggressive of a cut can cause it to do the same thing it's doing now.

 

Definitely, thanks!

 

The MLS head gasket wants a (If I remember right) a <20RA surface.

I looked it up and the minimum grit value this corresponded to was a 400 grit. So I used a 600 wet/dry with some oil and a VERY flat aluminum block to polish the head and block with. Worked well.

If the head and block are inside .002", you don't need the head and block decked imho.


One thing you can do is get a very flat surface and use valve grinding compound to figure out where you are out of flat, if at all. Then sand until smooth once more and put it on if block is good.

Warped head/block without overheat is theoretically possible if you torqued it totally wrong. IE out of sequence and not step-torqued. You probably did that right though.

Anyway, good luck.

Chay